Going to hospital, medieval style
Centuries before the NHS, monasteries were a refuge for the sick. Ann Newman is researching the records of one such place, St John’s Canterbury.
Becoming a History Detective
Maxine Clarke on the thrill of holding 14th century vellum – and realising that Chaucer’s Wife of Bath is deaf.
Join us at Canterbury Medieval Pageant for family activities
Take part in the pageant on Saturday 9th July. Many of our activities explore the lives of disabled people in the 12th century.
The medieval equivalent of Boots?
In which Ben McLoughlin finds the good bits in the ‘spectacularly dry’ Chronicles of the Maison Dieu, so you don’t have to…
Undulating floors and subterranean rivers: to Maison Dieu
A visit to what remains of a former medieval building visited by Chaucer and royalty.
Wanted: history detectives in London and Canterbury
Join us at venues including the former medieval hospital at Maison Dieu, St Saviour’s Deaf Church, Normansfield Hospital and Chiswick House – plus many archives.
Research group visits Canterbury Cathedral archive
The volunteer research and archive group visit Canterbury Cathedral. They will be exploring documents going back to the 11th century for stories of deaf and disabled lives in medieval alms houses.
The ‘Skeleton 19’ Mystery
A visit to the English Heritage archaeological store at Dover Castle, where curator Jo Gray shows Francesca Skeleton 19, which gives evidence linking the site to Deaf and disability history.
The last century of a very ancient house
Maison Dieu is all that remains of a 13th century monastery complex. We can only guess what it looked like for most of that period. Photographs show us that it was still changing with the times, even in the last century.